Comments for Infonista

Comment on What Else Can You Do With Your LIS Skills? Identifying Job Possibilities by alt-lib

alt-lib — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 23:36:23 +0000

Kim,
It was great to chat with you this afternoon, via email. Hope it’s ok with you, I would just like to give the readers of this article a pointer to http://alt-librarian-careers.blogspot.com/.

This blog is intended to capture real-life examples of librarians who have found positions in alternative career paths. It will also be used to recommend job openings found on the web, that are applicable non-traditional library roles. Specifically, I am curating positions that utilize our unique combination of skills in information management, customer service, research/reference/information retrieval, and analysis.

Regards,

Lib, Alt

Comment on What Else Can You Do With Your LIS Skills? Identifying Job Possibilities by Kim Dority …In Six | INALJ (I Need a Library Job)

Kim Dority …In Six | INALJ (I Need a Library Job) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:12:24 +0000

[...] See her on LIS Career Options and Infonista.com. [...]

Comment on Defending the MLIS: Top Ten Reasons That Getting an MLIS is a Really Smart Move by Kim

Kim — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:04:37 +0000

Tomasz, you make very valid points. My earlier post, “What MLIS programs need to be telling current and prospective students NOW” addresses the issue that unless they’re preparing their students to deploy (and sell) their degree skills in nontraditional ways, they’re going to be setting those students up for substantial frustration at best, longterm unemployment at worst.

This is a terrible time for ANY graduate of ANY program to be job-hunting; my point was that even given that, I felt the diversity of ways to apply the MLIS made it a more useful degree in terms of the range of potential job applicability than a more narrowly-focused master’s. That said, we’re all going to be in the business of marketing/selling/translating our skills to a potential employer who has no clue what we can do. Unfortunately, these are skills we get little to no training for in grad school.

One of the things that might prove useful, Tomasz, is to join SLA if only to see the range of job titles their members hold – some might spark an idea of a job possibility for you (and getting active in your local chapter might help you identify potential job openings). Also, you might want to join the LinkedIn LIS Career Options Group, which is free, to both get a sense of what types of “alternative” jobs some members hold as well as to see how others are dealing with employment challenges. You can see a list of the discussions for the group by clicking on the “LinkedIn Discussions List – LIS Career Options” link listed under “Categories” on the right-hand side of this page.

Comment on Defending the MLIS: Top Ten Reasons That Getting an MLIS is a Really Smart Move by Tomasz

Tomasz — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:44:10 +0000

Thanks for the article. Unfortunately, you don’t address issues such as recognition of the MLIS outside of the library field (I was recently told to suppress the fact of my MLIS when applying for a non-library information mgmt job) or any sort of data about hiring rates and job trends for MLIS holders outside of libraries. As an MLIS grad who has spent the past year trying to capitalize on the enthusiasm this post embodies, I have to say that the reality out there is vastly different for me and my fellow grads.

Comment on Finding International LIS Jobs by Kim Dority

Kim Dority — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:42:08 +0000

What a terrific adventure, Betty; that sounds even better than the cruise-ship approach!

Comment on Finding International LIS Jobs by Betty Story

Betty Story — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 22:40:38 +0000

I am late commenting on this, but the title “international jobs” always catches my eye. I did work as a school librarian at several international schools through ISS service. I had rewarding professional experiences and plenty of chances to create my own library model. When I worked in the schools in Indonesia, Japan, Virgin Islands, Madagascar, and Switzerland; all the libraries were in various stages of development. It was a great chance to test my skills at organization and management. It was a also a easy way to live in another country.

Comment on Pump Up Your Portfolio While You’re in Grad School by Kim Dority

Kim Dority — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 02:21:49 +0000

Jacob, great to hear of your success – I hope the grad school of which you’re an alum has you come back and talk to the students about this!

Comment on Pump Up Your Portfolio While You’re in Grad School by Jacob

Jacob — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:29:44 +0000

Great points. I tried to follow all of these during grad school and it felt like almost too much work at the time, but now that I’m in the beginning of my career they keep paying off in ways I never thought possible (including my current job).

Comment on The Starter Job: Or, Why You Should Consider That Job in Smalltown, USA by Priscilla Shontz

Priscilla Shontz — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:37:29 +0000

This is wonderful advice, Kim. You’re right, these positions can be less competitive, which helps a new grad in his or her first job search. My first post-MLS position was in a 5-person community college library in a small rural town, and it was one of the best training grounds I could have chosen. I was able to learn various library roles, find out what I liked and disliked, and gain diverse experience (including supervisory experience, which can be hard for new grads to gain). In addition, the community was full of lovely people who remain friends to this day. I often recommend this strategy to new grads, too. Thank you!

Comment on The Three Questions Your Career Advisor Wishes You’d Ask (While You’re Still a Student!) by Neal-Schuman Publishers » Get “Virtual Career Coaching”

Neal-Schuman Publishers » Get “Virtual Career Coaching” — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:51:07 +0000

[...] here to read the full post and learn more about [...]